What Can Noni be Used For?

The noni tree originates in the south pacific, most likely Hawaii, growing in the back lava soil left behind by the Island’s many volcanoes. It can grow up to 30 feet tall, and is related to the coffee tree, being in the Rubiaceae family. It will also grow in shady forests, sandy and rocky shores, saline soils, secondary soils, and limestone outcrops. It is however more common and grows better in the lava soil beds. Today it grows in Tahiti, French Polynesia, Southeast Asia, all of the Pacific Islands, and even in the Dominican Republic.

Although it has been a staple food for some small countries, it is mostly called the starvation or famine fruit simply because it tastes quite bad in it’s raw, fruit form. The outside resembles that of a large mottled white potato with buds on it similar to the knobs on pineapples. It has a sour smell when ripening, much like that of cheese when it is curing and so has been given the nickname of the ‘cheese fruit.’ Its other names include the scientific name of Morinda Citrifolia, and general names like Great Morinda, Indian Mulberry, Mengkudi, Beach Mulberry, and Tahitian Noni usually according to where it has been found to grow.

The main use of the fruit is the juice and ground powder. The powder itself is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Calcium with trace amounts of sodium. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and carbohydrates. Noni is said to have boosting power for your metabolism. This fruit also contains a sufficient amount of essential fatty acids, flavanoids, polysaccharides, indoids and phytoestrogens.

Noni has a trace element called beta-sitosterol, an anti-cholesterol ingredient. Many health food stores carry other parts of the plant in ground form for the making of natural herbal medicines and remedies. Some countries, like China and Japan use the flowers, fruit, bark, leaves and roots, which is basically the whole plant in their home made remedies. They say it is good for fever, eye irritations, throat and gum infections, bowel, intestine and general stomach problems and lung problems.

The leaves of the noni tree are used in Malaysia as a poultice on the chest to relieve coughs, nausea and colic. The fruit is used in Indochina for lumbago, asthma, and dysentery. It is also made into a poultice an applied to broken bones to help relieve pain.

This Queen Fruit or Canoe Fruit as it was named by early Polynesian tribes, traveled with them wherever they went. Because of its healing and health benefits it was one of the things the tribe would consider essential to travel or take with them. They would eat the fruit, drink the juice, use it for medical purposes and save the seeds to plant.